Machine for decorticating fibrous plants



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. LANAUX & M. E. RENDON. MACHINE FORDEGORTIGATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

No. 468,249. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-'Sheet 2.

G. LANAUX & M. EpRENDON. MACHINE FOR DEGORTIOATING PIBROUS PLANTS.

No. 468,249. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES LANAUX AND MANUEL ESPINOSA RENDON, OF MERIDA, MEXICO.

MACHINE FOR DECORTICATING FIBROUS PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 468,249, dated February2, 1892.

Application filed June 23,1890. Serial No. 356,504- (No model.)

I To (tZZ 1071,0122 it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHARLES LANAUX, a citizen of the United States,residing at l\lerida, State of Yucatan, Republic of Mexico, and MANUELESPINOSA RENDON, a citizen of the Republic of Mexico, residing, also, atMerida, State of Yucatan, Mexico, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Decorticating Fibrous Plants, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein to theaccompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to decortiating-machines for crushing the stalksand separating the fibers from various fibrous plants.

The invention consists in the improved construction and combination ofparts in a decorticating-machine, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a decorticatingmachine embodying our improvements. Fig. 2is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine. Fig. 4is an enlarged side view of the rackand-pinion mechanism, illustrating amodification in which the pinion is connected with the pivot of arocking delivery-table by means of an intermediate pawl and ratchet,whereby while the pinion is actuated by the rack in both directions itwill act upon the table in one direction only. Fig. 5 is a plan of thepawl-and-ratchet-mechanism. Fig. 6 is an enlarged side view of eccentricmechanism for actuating a shaking screen.

Referring to the drawings, the letterA designates a frame of suitableconstruction to support the various parts of the machine. At one end ofthe machine-frame is supported an endless carrier B to convey thefibrous plants to be decorticated, said carrier or conveyer being soarranged as to deliver the stalks to a three-roller mill (3, in whicheach roller is provided with a smooth surface for crushingthe stalks.These rollers are supported in one end of the machine and are arrangedtwo below and one above in a manner similar to that of the rollers in acane-mill.

Adjacent to the mill 0 is a two-roller mill D, composed of twolongitudinally corrugated or fluted rollers arranged one above theother, for the purpose of further crushing the stalks and partlyremoving their outer covering.

The top roller of the mill D may be made adjustable, so as to be raisedor lowered by means of screws E, as usual. The corrugated or flutedsurfaces of the rollers in the mill D are cleansed by means of twocylindrical brushes F, placed one above the other and suitably arrangedto revolve in reverse directions, whereby they will also assist infeeding and cleaning the fibrous material passed through the machine.After passing between the brushes F the fibrous material is receivedbetween the upper and lower longitudinally corrugated orfiuted rollersof a two-roller mill G, which is similar to the mill D, except that thecorrugations of the rollers may be somewhat finer to more perfectlyremove the stalkcovering and separate the fiber. The revolving brushes Fare so arranged as to act on the rollers of both mills D and G and keeptheir surfaces free from matter that might otherwise adhere thereto. Thetop roller of the mill G should be made'vertically adj ust able by meansof screws H, as shown.

Atthe exit end of the machine-frame is a rocking delivery-table I, onwhich is received the material that has been acted on by thedecorticating-rollers. The tableI is centrally mounted on a shaft orpivot a, on which is a pinion S, that is actuated by avertically-reciprocating rack K, suspended from one endof an oscillatorylever L, which is fulcrumed to a hanger Z1, attached to the ceiling orother support above the machine. In an adjacent hanger c is journaled awheel or pulley LT, having a laterally-projecting pin M, adapted to beardown on one end of the lever L at intervals during the revolutions 'ofsaid pulley, and thereby raise the rack K, attached to the other end ofsaid lever. YVhen the pin M becomes disengaged from the lever L by thecontinued rotation of the pulley N, the rack K will descend by gravity.These re ciprocations of the rack K will actuate the pinion S, which maybe fast on the shaft or pivot a of the table I, to whicha rockingmovement is thus imparted. Instead of being fast on the shaft or pivot athepinion S maybe loose thereon and have secured to one side aratchet-wheel T, adapted to engage with a pawl table, as shown in Figs.land 5, the pawl and 7 shaking screen or sifter 0, that is supported onflexible jointed standards P at the exit end of the machine. The screenor sifter O is vibrated from an eccentric Rthrough a suitable connectionR ,Fig. 6, so as to agitate the fiber and complete its separation fromthedust and the remains of the disintegrated stalks.

A trough V may be arranged under the mills C and D to receive thefragments of stalks that drop therefrom.

The power for driving the endless carrier B and the mills O, D, and G isapplied to the shaft 9 of the top roller in the three-roller mill C,which shaft 9 is provided with sprocket-wheels h and i at one end.

The endless carrier B is provided with a shaft 7;, having asprocket-wheel 172, through which it is driven by a belt or chain fromthe wheel h, Whllft belt or chain from the wheel '5 drives asprocket-wheel on the shaft of the top roller in the two-roller mill Dand another chain or belt from a sprocket-wheel 0 on the last-namedshaft drives a sprocket-wheel p on the shaft of the top roller in thetwo-roller mill G. By this means the endless carrier and the top rollersof all the mills are driven from the same point, and the lower rollersof the several mills are driven from their respective top rollers bymeans of suitably-arranged spur-gears, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

At a suitable point above the machineframe is supported acounter-shaftq, having pulleys 1 and 2, from which the pulleys 3 and 4on the shafts of the revolving brushes F are driven, one of the saidbelts being crossed, as shown in Fig. 1, so that said brushes will bemade to rotate in reverse directions, as required. The pulley N, thatactuates the rack K, is driven by means of a crossed belt from a pulley5 on the counter-shaft q, as shown in Fig. l, and on the shaft 6, thatcarries the eccentric R for actuating the shaking screen 0, is a pulley7, that is driven by suitable belting from a pulley 8, Fig. 3, on saidcounter-shaft. c,

What we claim as our invention is 1. The combination, with rollers forcrushing and breaking the stalks of fibrous plants and a vibratoryscreen for separating and cleansing the fibers, of anintermittinglyeactuated rocking table-located intermediate the' rollersand screen to receive the .crushed material and discharge it onto thescreen, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a series of mills, each composed of upper andlower rollers, revolving brushes for cleansing said rollers, anintermittinglyrocking table to receive the crushed material, and avibratory screen onto which the crushed material is discharged by saidtable, substantially as described.

V 3. The combination of a series of mills for crushing and breaking thestalks of fibrous plants, a conveyer for feeding the stalks to the firstmill of the series, revolving brushes for cleaning the mill-rollers, anintermittingly-rocking table that receives the .crushed material fromthe last mill of the series, and a vibrator-y screen onto which thecrushed material is discharged by said table, substan-- tially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we have hereto affixed our signatures in presenceof two witnesses.

CHAS. LANAUX. MANUEL ESPINOSA RENDON.

lVitn esses:

J OSE DOMINGO, Sn, Emilio MAOKINNEY,

